The Apologies Were Written in Her Skin
by ehehb
Summary: Elsa learns about a secret!
1. Chapter 1

_You'll never be normal._

Running. Sharp panting.

_You'll never be like them._

Looking back.

_You'll always be_

A dead end.

_A mistake._

Turn around and face it.

-break-

Elsa's eyes flashed open, expecting to see a stark forest instead of the blinding sunlight that assaulted her. She heard rustling off to the side as Olaf bounded into view, gaily twirling around with his personal snowstorm.

_It was just a dream_. Elsa closed her eyes and huffed out her breath. She could feel ice creeping around the edges of her fingertips, but quickly she thought about her sister, Anna, and it melted away. In the many months since her entire kingdom found out about her icy burden, she had nearly mastered complete control over her powers. It wasn't about holding in her emotions; it was about letting them run free. By understanding her feelings, she was able to control her body's reactions to them.

What she couldn't control though, was the nightmares.

They constantly plagued her, fearsome images plastered across her eyelids, even when she blinked. And she was always running away, from something, someone. _Why_.

Elsa shook her head to clear the last tendrils of darkness out of her mind and felt something tug at the thick braid that trailed down her back. She whipped around, startled, until she saw a pair of green eyes, lit with good humor. Her muscles relaxed as she smiled back at her sister, turning her body to face her. Anna reached around her and slowly pried apart Elsa's braid.

"You should leave your hair down, Elsa, it's spring," Anna said, her voice bubbly. When Elsa closed her eyes as Anna talked, she imagined polka dots in bright spring colors. She wished her own voice were less husky and more like her sister's.

Anna leaned back on her hands, appreciating the warmth that graced her skin. She was wearing a light blue summer dress, thin and wispy, just brushing her legs mid-thigh. "What are you going to do all day?" she asked, gazing expectantly at her sister.

"Don't you have a date with Kristoff?" Elsa answered, teasing.

Anna's smile widened even more. "Yes," she said, "but that's not till tonight. We're having dinner at some special little restaurant he likes. It's going to be so cute."

Elsa loved it when Anna talked about Kristoff. The innocent love that emanated from her slight frame was so powerful that it wrapped Elsa in a warm blanket, pushing all of her iciness into the confines of her heart. This was truly the best feeling, warmth from the sun and warmth from within. Elsa fiddled with a few strands of grass for a while.

"That's great, Anna, I'm so glad you guys are going on all these dates." She looked up and saw a short flicker of pain cross Anna's eyes. The ice in her heart shot out and froze the tips of the grasses she was touching, but her control quickly stopped the ice from spreading. Slowly she pulled the ice back into her chest, disappointed in herself for undoubtedly reminding Anna of the mistake known as Hans.

_Mistake._

Elsa's eyes widened, suddenly remembering her nightmare. Anna leaned forward and peered at her with concern, her eyebrows arching together. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Elsa said, fidgeting with the grass again.

"Did you have another nightmare?"

"Of course," Elsa said, smiling a little, hoping to lighten the mood. But Anna's face was unchanging, worry still drawn across her face like her faint freckles. Elsa sighed. "I've gotten my ... abilities in check, but I can't seem to shake these nightmares." She looked up at Anna. Her face had formed into one of sympathy and comforting.

"Don't worry, Elsa. It'll probably just take a little more time." Anna moved to hold Elsa's hand and they smiled at each other. Hope warmed her chest and spiraled down her arms. She had always known she'd missed her sister, but had never realized just how much until they'd started spending time together.

"Come on," Elsa said, pulling Anna to stand up with her. "Let's go find you the perfect outfit to wear on your date." She waggled her eyebrows for effect, and Anna giggled. They walked back to their castle, hand in hand, Olaf trailing close behind them.

-break-

"Well?"

Anna came out of her changing room, wearing a yellow summer dress, her hair half braided and half loose around her shoulders.

"What do you think?" Anna spun around. The skirt of the dress lifted up softly.

"It looks perfect, Anna," Elsa exclaimed, rejoicing in being able to act as a real older sister. "You look so cute."

Anna beamed at Elsa, tugging at the edges of skirt. "Thanks for picking this dress out for me."

"No problem," Elsa said, pulling Anna into a hug. Suddenly, an idea seemed to spark in Elsa's mind, and she led Anna to her room. She spent the next twenty minutes weaving ribbons into Anna's hair, and then Anna had to go.

"Be safe!" Elsa called after Kristoff and her sister, smiling when Anna turned to wave back at her one last time.

-break-

Elsa sat curled up in the large armchair of her father's old study, reading a book. Her eyelids were getting heavy, but she wanted to finish at least thirty more pages today. She heard the door softly creak open as her family's faithful servant, Kai, plodded in.

"It's late, Elsa," Kai said, softly. "Probably time to be sleeping?"

"I'm almost done reading," Elsa said, smiling gently up at him.

"Could it be you are waiting for your sister to return?"

Elsa blushed softly; she hadn't thought of that. "M-maybe," she admitted, sheepishly. She thought about Anna coming home and chattering excitedly about her date with Kristoff. "Probably," she nodded.

Kai walked over and patted Elsa on the head. "You don't have to worry about her. She's grown up now."

"I know," Elsa sighed. "I just want to be there for her, since..." She knew she didn't have to finish her sentence for Kai to understand.

"Alright," Kai said, walking away. "Good night, Elsa. Don't stay up too late." With one last smile, Kai slipped out of the room, gently closing the door after himself.

Elsa felt warm, filled with love for this man. He was like a father to her, probably more so than her own father. The pages of her book turned crisp with frost as she felt a slap of guilt. Her father was gone now. She shouldn't be having negative thoughts about him.

_But all those years alone_.

Elsa shook the thoughts out of her mind, returning her attention to the novel she was reading. Just as the protagonist was about to face her fears and turn on the villain she heard a light knocking at her window. Elsa stiffened. She was on the third story of the castle... what could be?

The knocking came again.

Slowly, Elsa placed her book down on the side-table. She inched toward the window, and with each step she realized there was a sound outside, like furious wind. With more surprise, she saw that the window was frosting over. _What the ..._

Elsa placed her fingertips against the windowpane and it shattered into tiny pieces that were immediately swept up by the wind outside. The air current was so strong that it ripped locks of her hair from their neat placement in her braid. Before she could react, a figure threw itself through the empty window frame, toppling over onto a pile of broken glass on the floor.

It was a young man, crouched on all floors, retching and coughing up blood onto the glass pieces.

Elsa stepped back, terrified. "K-Kai!" she yelled. She raised her hands to her cheeks as she screamed her servant's name again, ice shooting out from her hands and hitting the strange man in the chest. Horrified, Elsa squeezed her eyes shut as Kai pushed with all his strength to open the door and brave the snowstorm that encased her.


	2. Chapter 2

Elsa chewed on her lip anxiously as she stared at the strange man, still asleep before her. Images of ice flying from her fingertips and striking him in the chest kept replaying in her mind. She kept clenching and unclenching her fists, ice slipping out each time her hands stretched open even the slightest.

"Oh, Kai," she cried, "what if he never wakes up?"

"It's not your fault, Your Majesty," Kai assured her, placing a big comforting hand on her shoulder. "He was already in poor shape when he came crashing through that window."

"I know," Elsa said, "but I haven't lost control since-"

Kai didn't let her finish the sentence, knowing that Elsa was remembering nearly killing her sister the year before. "He'll be okay. Your Majesty, I suggest you get some rest."

"No, Kai, it's okay. I have to stay with him." She paused. "You should go though. You must be exhausted. Thank you, for everything."

Kai lingered for a moment, but eventually nodded, taking his leave.

Elsa returned her attention to the sleeping man in front of her. Kai had removed the man's sweatshirt to extract the broken glass from his torso, and he had washed away the blood. His skin was pale, nearly translucent, and along the dark blue veins that crossed his body, Elsa saw faint lines of frost. Peering closely at the ice that trailed across his collar bones, she hesitantly reached for his right hand. As she expected, his hands were cold to the touch, as cold as ice.

For a moment, she panicked that this meant that he was truly dead, that she had actually killed someone this time. But she could see his chest slowly moving up and down. She studied his face and was startled by how young he looked. She realized that this wasn't a man, but rather a boy. His lips were slightly parted, and his eyelashes were laced with a thin layer of ice. _Mid-spring_. Elsa blinked. She stared sadly at his pale hair, almost completely white, remembering that when she had struck Anna last summer in the chest, that her hair had become the same color. She struggled to remember whether his hair had been white in the first place or if she must be the reason. She wondered how long it took the effects of her ice to set in.

Sighing, Elsa lay her head down on the edge of the bed. She was far too tired to stay awake any longer, and with some disappointment she realized that Anna hadn't even returned from her date yet.

-break-

The slam of a door several rooms down startled Elsa awake. She listened to its echoes as she pulled herself upright, rubbing her eyes. It took her a few seconds to remember why she was in one of the guestrooms and why there was a stranger in her castle, but then she remembered what had awakened her. _Anna_?

Giving the boy one last glance, she hurried out of the room, gently shut the door, and half-jogged to Anna's room. She wondered if Anna and Kristoff had had a fight; why else would Anna slam the door? She knocked softly on her sister's bedroom door. "Anna?"

After a few seconds, Anna opened the door, smiling sheepishly. She had already changed into her sleep clothes and let down her hair. "Hi," she said, sounding cheerful but tired.

"Is everything okay?" Elsa asked, trying not to let Anna see how worried she was. "I heard the door slam-"

"Oh, that," Anna laughed apologetically. She sighed. "I was hoping I didn't wake you up. It's just Kristoff and I had such a great time, and I was tired, I don't know." She yawned. "Accidents."

"Okay," Elsa replied, relieved. She smiled at her sister. "You have to tell me all about it tomorrow."

"You mean today, Elsa," Anna said. "It's so late. Why are you still awake? Or did I really wake you?"

Elsa suddenly remembered why she wasn't in bed herself. She felt her eyes widen and her body tense as ice slipped down between her shoulder blades. "I was just," pause, "reading." It was hardly a good cover, but it seemed Anna was too tired to notice.

Anna yawned again, and Elsa smiled at her sister with adoration. "I guess you better sleep," Elsa said, pulling Anna close to her. Anna sleepily returned the hug, nuzzling into her sister's shoulder, and Elsa could smell the spring grass and sun on her sister's hair. After a moment, they pulled apart and exchanged "good nights" and Elsa sleepily shuffled back to the guestroom as Anna shut her door, softly this time.

(break)

Elsa sat down in the armchair next to the guestroom bed, searching the boy's face for any signs of consciousness. Every now and then, his face would twitch into an expression of pain or anguish, and Elsa didn't know what to do to help. She considered trying to wake him but had no idea how that would affect him. Eventually, she settled her head on her arms again, resting against the edge of the bed.

Just as she felt as though she might drift into sleep, she sensed movement from the bed, and shortly after the young man shot straight up, tossing away his covers, gasping and looking frantically around the room. Elsa caught a glimpse of his eyes, completely blackened, and she felt herself letting her ice form a thin, protective barrier around her. But as he continued to fidget and push back against the headboard, the color slowly faded away, revealing pale blue pupils, and Elsa relaxed. His eyelids seemed to lower in exhaustion and he slumped down in the bed, his chest still heaving.

Elsa blushed, noticing that Kai must have taken the boy's pants away to wash as well. Looking away, she cleared her throat. The stranger seemed to notice her for the first time. He quickly pulled his blanket up to his stomach, looking around again, though Elsa had a feeling that the blackness that had clouded his eyes before had prevented him from really seeing anything the first time. She felt his attention finally rest on her shoulder, and after a few moments he said, "Sorry about the window." His voice was husky from lack of use, she assumed, and he cleared his throat several times. "Sorry, sorry." More awkward throat-clearing. "Do you have any water?"

Elsa stood up and went to the bathroom where she filled a cup with water from the sink. She returned to the room and handed him the cup. "Thank you," he said. As he reached for the cup, Elsa let herself meet his gaze. It was almost upsetting, seeing this man suddenly lucid when just moments before she was certain that he was going to die. He ran a hand through his hair as he drank the water, and Elsa just stared at him because she didn't know what else to do. He finished the water and handed the cup back to her, saying thank you again. Elsa blinked several times and then finally remembered that she could talk, too.

"What's your name?" Elsa asked, not wanting to think of him as a stranger in her castle anymore. If he had a name, maybe some of the events that had transpired would make a little more sense.

Suddenly, he looked startled. He blinked several times, looking down, as if unsure of how to answer. Finally, he looked back at her. "My name's Jack." He said this with such gravity and determination that Elsa felt herself become more confused.

"Jack what?" she pressed, feeling the name tug at her memory.

Jack paused again, still hesitant. "Well, you don't have to tell me, I guess," Elsa began, but before she could finish, the young man replied, words heavy and eyes intense, "Jack Frost."


	3. Chapter 3

Elsa laughed. She had expected herself to softly chuckle, but her voice reverberated against the walls in the guestroom, a tinkling laugh, light as the clink of ice on crystal.

"Jack Frost," she giggled. "That's really fitting. It makes a lot of sense now," she said, remembering how cold his hand was.

"You can see me," Jack said, eyebrows drawing together in confusion. For years now, Jack had been alone, invisible to everyone. All he had were vague memories of a family he once had, a little sister, a freezing pond, and something gone wrong. If he concentrated hard enough, he could remember cold water, burning his skin, and the understanding that it was better that he suffered than someone else. The Man in the Moon, his only solid recollection from before these recent years, had assured him that eventually the events of his past life would return to him, and that when they did, he must not regret what had happened. As time went on, Jack felt himself gradually remembering more and more, but it was frustrating nevertheless. "You believe in me?"

The way Jack was looking up at Elsa, he seemed even younger, eyes pleading and face delicate. She wanted to reach out and comfort him, but she held back. _Stranger_.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean, you believe in Jack Frost?"

Elsa laughed again, quieter this time. "That book I was reading when you burst through the window," she waved off Jack's shy apologies, "was a book of legends and fairy tales. And you were in there." Elsa sat down at the foot of the bed. "So I guess I kind of believed in them more than I thought I did. People can only see you if they believe in you?"

Jack nodded. "I haven't talked to anyone in years," he half-laughed.

The room fell silent for a few moments. Suddenly, Elsa stood up. "I'm glad you're okay. If you don't mind, I'm going to return to my chambers to rest." After a pause, she added, "I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

Jack stared after her as she left the room, the words "Good night" barely remembering to leap from his lips.

-break-

Elsa woke groggily the next morning with sunlight streaming through her window, gold and dusty, warming her skin. She yawned as she tried to blink away the grit in her eyes. She was just turning on her side to try to salvage her last remnants of sleep, when she noticed two bright green eyes, smiling at her from under her covers.

"Oh my goodness!" Elsa half-gasped, half-shrieked, sitting up quickly. She felt a tinge of pride in herself for not cussing in front of her sister. "Anna, you're awake." She shook her head to clear it. "Why are you up so early?" she yawned.

Anna laughed and sat up with her sister, poking her in the side. "I'm not up early."

Elsa checked the clock and was appalled to find that it was one in the afternoon. She gasped in shock, lifting a hand to cover her gaping mouth. She hadn't slept past 9 AM since her coronation. Elsa snapped out of her reverie when she realized Anna was laughing at her.

"What?" Elsa asked, feeling her face blush.

"Your face," Anna said, in between giggles. "It was priceless." Seeing the mortification in Elsa's expression, Anna added, "Don't worry, Elsa, it's okay for you to sleep in, even as Queen." She nodded solemnly to drive home the point.

Then Elsa remembered all the paperwork that she was supposed to do that morning. She slumped against the headboard with a groan. "Oh no, Anna, I have all this stuff to do," she began, before she noticed a mischievous smile slinking across her sister's freckled face. "What, what did you do?" Elsa felt panic set in, worried her sister had somehow tampered with the Crown paperwork in one of her adventurous schemes.

"I didn't do anything," Anna said innocently, "and now you don't have to either!" Here, she started bouncing up and down eagerly on the bed.

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked apprehensively.

"Don't freak out, Elsa, I just told Kai to do your work for you," Anna beamed.

"Anna, you can't do that," Elsa sighed, exasperated. "You can't just make Kai do everything for me."

"Well, it's not everything; I just asked him to do some of your busywork. Don't worry, Your Majesty, we'll leave the big stuff to you," Anna said, stifling her own giggles.

"But Anna-"

"But Elsa-"

"Anna-"

"Elsa, I want to spend the day together. I feel like I haven't had enough time with you lately. I've been going out with Kristoff too much. But the most important thing to me is that we spend time together." Anna blinked up at Elsa, lips pulling upward.

Elsa felt her heart warm up at her sister's affection, and she pulled her into a hug. "Well, I guess I could take one day off."

"More like half a day," Anna exclaimed. "You've been sleeping the hours away!"

Mid-laugh, Elsa suddenly remembered that Jack Frost was in the castle. Anna startled as she felt ice creep across the blankets. She looked at Elsa with concern. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no," Elsa stammered. "Just uhm, let me get ready, okay? I'll be right out?"

"Okay," Anna agreed, awkwardly climbing out of Elsa's bed. "I'll be in the kitchen talking to Gerda," she called as she left.

Alone, Elsa huffed out her breath, feeling uncomfortable not telling her sister the whole truth. She extracted herself from her tangle of covers and shuffled to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She chose a short-sleeved blue dress from her closet, then pulled her hair hastily into a single braid. Finally she stood staring at herself in the mirror, steeling herself. She lifted her hands and let the ice flow free, so that it wrapped around her, sparkling. _Time to go_.

Quietly, Elsa pushed open her door a crack, surveying the hallway to make sure that no one was outside. When she was sure it was clear, she slipped out, turning to gently shut the door. She walked as quickly as she could without making too much noise, checking over her shoulder frequently to make sure that Anna was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, she felt herself make contact with a cushioned surface. She whipped around in surprise, nearly sending her ice toward Kai.

"Kai!" she cried out. "I'm so sorry. And I'm sorry about all the work I didn't get to. Thanks for covering for me," she smiled.

Then a thought crossed her mind. "Kai," she whispered frantically, "did you tell Anna about-"

"No, Your Majesty," the servant replied pleasantly. "I thought I'd let you tell her about him." He stared at Elsa expectantly.

"I uh," Elsa began. "I haven't gotten around to telling Anna yet." Kai eyed her reprovingly. "Well, it hasn't come up."

"Do your best, Your Majesty, in being honest with your sister." Kai started to walk away slowly. "I have a few letters to send out."

"Very well," Elsa nodded. "And I'll keep that in mind."

Elsa turned and walked down the hall. Again she felt guilt tugging at her heart, and she let herself freeze the hallway as she walked. With each step, she planted a sheet of ice on the floor, and flurries flew from her fingers. By the time she reached the door to the guestroom, she felt ready to face Jack, even though she was still uncertain of how to tell her sister about him.

Taking a deep breath, she flung open the door. Jack was pacing back and forth in the far corner of the room. At the sound of the door opening, he looked up, eyes wide.

Elsa breathed out, realizing that she had been holding her breath. "You're still here," she said.

Jack looked confused. "Well, I wasn't sure if I was allowed to leave this room." He followed Elsa's gaze to the window and realized that she meant he was still in the castle. "Oh, that. Well, it gets lonely out there, when you have no one to talk to." He tried to smile, but his face seemed to protest, so he sat down on the bed instead.

"Well, you don't have to go," Elsa said, walking toward him. She sighed.

"I mean if I'm causing you trouble-"

"No, it's fine," Elsa said, hurriedly. "It's just, I don't know how to tell my sister."

Jack blinked, feeling memories of his own sister pull at him from the back of his mind. "Why?"

"What do you mean, why?"

"I mean, what's so hard about telling your sister about me? Don't you kind of have to? She lives here." Jack stared at Elsa quizzically, and suddenly she felt silly.

Blushing, Elsa replied, "I- I guess you're right. I should just tell her. Then you can meet her, and you'll have someone else to talk to, right?"

Jack smiled but didn't say anything. After a moment, Elsa asked, "How are your injuries?" She couldn't see if his cuts from the glass shards had healed because Jack was now wearing the sweatshirt and pair of pants that he'd had on when he crashed through the window. Her blush deepened when she remembered how he hadn't been wearing anything except underwear the night before.

"Injuries?" Jack asked, seeming to be genuinely confused.

"You broke through the window, remember? And you were coughing up blood. And I, uh I hit you in the chest. Doesn't anything hurt?"

Jack laughed. "Nothing has hurt for years. I'm Jack Frost. I'm immortal. The only thing that hurts are the nightmares."

"Nightmares?"

"Yeah," he said. "Nightmares."

"What happened to you, before you came here?"

Jack twitched a little, but his face remained impassive. "I'll tell you some other time," he said, his face shifting into a wry smile, "if I ever remember." After a moment, he asked, "You hit me in the chest?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry," Elsa said, looking away.

"I don't remember that; I guess I was preoccupied." Jack smiled ruefully and seemed to think for a while. "What did you hit me with?"

Elsa smiled and waved her hand, forming a swirl of ice and snow above her palm. "I can do the ice thing, too," she laughed.

Jack's eyes widened in amazement. "A-are you like me?" he stammered. "Did the Man in the Moon talk to you, too?"

Elsa dropped her hand, the ice dissipating into the air, and shook her head. "No, I was born like this. I don't know why."

"Your parents had to have told you something about it right? Didn't you ever ask?"

"It never really came up when I was a child. I just liked playing with my er, abilities a lot, but I didn't care too much about why I had them." Elsa focused her attention on the window, which felt a lot like a gaping hole in the castle now that the glass was gone. Sunlight streamed through and the scent of spring wafted into the room. "By the time I started to wonder about those things, they'd told me to stay in my room. After that, it just got harder and harder to talk to them."

"That's terrible," Jack said. "They just, shut you away for being different?"

Elsa remembered all the time she'd spent alone in her room, at first trying to read or draw pictures, but becoming frustrated when whatever she tried to do resulted in frozen paper and pencils. Eventually, she had given up and resigned herself to sitting on the floor or the bed, telling herself silently to stop feeling, to please stop feeling. But with every plea, she only felt more intensely. Her room became a land of ice, breached only when her parents came to visit her and when Kai and Gerda slipped her trays of food at mealtimes. She was tempted to play with her powers, but she thought she had to shun them to control them, and every time she created anything from ice, the guilt at disobeying her father's orders would paralyze her.

"They just wanted to keep my sister safe," Elsa said, resolutely. "They meant no harm."

"But what about now? I mean, you're not in your room now. So you're allowed to go out? And you look like you have your powers under control," Jack said, smiling. "Can't you ask them about it now?"

Elsa bit her lip, telling herself not to cry in front of someone, especially a stranger, especially someone who looked so much younger than her. "Well, they-" It never seemed to get easier, telling people about her parents. "They passed away a few years ago." She couldn't bring herself to look at Jack now, and the tension in the room grew.

Suddenly, Elsa felt arms around her, warmer than she'd thought they'd be. Instead of pulling away as she had expected herself to do, she gave in, pressing her face against Jack's shoulder, still fighting away tears. Jack held onto her for a long time, finally breathing an apology into her hair. "I haven't hugged anyone in so long," he whispered, sending chills along Elsa's spine. "Sorry, I'm being selfish. This is about you." He pulled away. "Are you okay?"

Elsa nodded. "It just never gets easier," she laughed softly. "Or maybe it does, but it still hurts every time. Every time I have to say it out loud."

Jack smiled sadly at Elsa. "It's okay, in time," he trailed off. "I didn't get your name," he said suddenly.

"Oh," Elsa felt herself blushing again, cursing her fair skin. "My name is Elsa. Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

"Queen," Jack smiled, and Elsa didn't know what to say. "So Your Majesty, were you trying to tell me that you hit me with your icy powers last night?"

Elsa had forgotten that they had been talking about that. "Yeah, I did. I'm afraid I hit you in a bad place."

"Oh?" Jack raised his eyebrows.

"I hit you near the heart. I did that once to my sister before, by accident of course, and it nearly killed her. She saved herself with an act of true love, by saving my life." Elsa shuddered at the memory of Anna, frozen stiff as a sculpture. But at the same time, she felt herself smiling at how much her sister loved her. Her heart filled with affection for the young girl. "I almost killed her," she repeated, more to herself than her company. Elsa looked Jack in the eyes. "Do you feel any colder?"

Jack laughed harshly, louder than he'd intended to, but he felt like he couldn't stop. After a minute or so, he regained control, facing a now stunned Elsa. "You don't have to worry about that, Your Majesty. My heart has been frozen for a long time. It really doesn't get much colder than this." Jack bent to pick something up from the floor when suddenly the room was filled with ice and snow. It was like the perfect winter, even though just outside the window, springtime was in full throttle.

Elsa gasped, staring around in wonder. She struggled with herself, trying to pull the ice back inside her, but as she looked at Jack's profile, she realized that he was laughing. "Y-you're doing this?" she asked, incredulous.

"Well, I _am_ Jack Frost," he replied, sitting up straight, pulling up with him a large wooden object. "I bring the winter." _Like me_, thought the Queen.

"What is that?" Elsa asked, intrigued.

"This is my staff," Jack said, pulling it across his lap and examining it. "This is what I use to channel my powers. I got it from the Man in the Moon."

Elsa muttered, more to herself than to Jack, "I hadn't noticed that." After a moment she asked, "Who is this Man in the Moon?"

Jack hummed quietly to himself, low, as if he really had to think about it. "I don't really know. He's the Moon, but he talks to me, sometimes. I guess that sounds crazy. He's the one who blessed, or cursed me, with immortality. I don't really know why I'm here yet, or what happened to get me killed in the first place, but he promised me that one day I'll figure it out." Jack's eyes seemed to darken. "I can't wait till that day."

Elsa slowly reached out a hand and cupped Jack's cheek, taking them both by surprise. She pulled back. "S-sorry. I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking." Her skin tingled where she'd made contact with his face. His skin was so soft. "I just- I, oh!" Elsa exclaimed, blushing furiously at her incoherence. "I'm spending the day with my sister. Maybe I'll, maybe I'll tell her about you. Maybe you can meet her later. I have to go! Are you hungry? I'll ask Kai or Gerda or someone to bring food to you, sorry!"

And with that, Elsa jumped awkwardly up from the bed and hurried out the door, leaving Jack stunned and confused, touching his face where her hand had been.

-break-

Elsa ran down the hall and stairs, finally arriving at the kitchen breathless, her hair hanging limply in short curls that had escaped her braid. Gerda and Anna stared at her awkwardly, Elsa's entry cutting through their conversation. Elsa felt herself shrinking away from them instinctively, like an intruder in her own home. But Gerda smiled at her and went back to kneading dough as Anna walked over to Elsa, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. Elsa smiled down at her little sister, grateful that she was easing away the tension. Then Anna reached around her head and broke apart the braid that Elsa had rummaged together.

"Springtime, remember? Hair down."

Elsa smiled back at Anna. "So what were you guys talking about?"

"Oh, nothing," Anna said. "Just secrets," she added, waggling her eyebrows.

Elsa rolled her eyes jokingly.

"Well, I was complaining about how long you were taking to get down here," Anna started, walking back toward the kitchen counter. "And then I was complimenting Gerda on her superb dough-kneading techniques. Have you noticed?"

"And I was saying," Gerda cut in, "that I think that Kristoff is going to propose soon." She winked at Anna, who giggled and blushed furiously.

"Propose?!" Elsa heard herself exclaim. Anna laughed even harder at her sister's reaction.

"It's just something Gerda thinks that she's right about." Anna waved off Gerda's protests. "Gerda isn't always right, you know."

"And when have I been wrong?" Gerda asked, smirking at the silence that hung in the room when neither girl could think of an answer. She went back to her dough-kneading again, satisfied at proving her point.

Elsa stepped to her sister, taking her wrists in her hands. "Are you ready for this, Anna?"

Anna winced almost imperceptibly at the ice that was snaking from Elsa's palms. Quickly, Elsa let go. "I don't know," Anna whispered, seriously, reaching for her sister's hands in return. "But I guess I'm willing to find out." She smiled and the humor in the room was restored. _So effortlessly comfortable_, Elsa admired, feeling that familiar rush of appreciation for her sister.

She watched as Anna skipped around the room, filling up a basket with fruits and sweets, calling out intermittently to remind the young girl to pack actual lunch for what she presumed was going to be a picnic.

While Anna was busy, Elsa leaned toward Gerda, whispering in her ear. "Do you know about our visitor?" she asked, keeping her eyes trained on Anna.

"Of course, Your Majesty," Gerda answered, still kneading the dough.

Elsa bit her lip. "Could you please bring him some food while I'm out with my sister?" she said, feeling guilty for asking Gerda to take time out of her day.

"Of course, Your Majesty." After a pause, Gerda asked, "Does Anna know?"

"Know what?" Elsa blinked.

"About our _visitor_."

"Oh, I haven't, I haven't told her about him yet."

Gerda cleared her throat but said nothing more, so Elsa stood there, feeling a heavy weight on her shoulders.

Finally, Anna was satisfied with the food that she packed. She kissed Gerda on the cheek as Elsa shyly waved goodbye, then linked arms with the quiet queen, dragging her out the door.

"I love your dress," Anna said, bumping hips with Elsa.

"And I love yours." They laughed together, realizing that they were wearing nearly identical dresses.

"Let's eat by the water," Anna suggested, steering Elsa toward the shore. They set up a blanket on a bank of grass, and laid out all the foods. While they were emptying the basket, Anna cried out, feeling a sudden chill across her back.

Olaf popped out from behind her skirt. "Olaf!" Elsa exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in forever. Where have you been?"

"I've been exploring," Olaf exclaimed, excitement written all over his animated face. He pressed his carrot nose against Elsa's knee as he babbled about his recent hiking adventures. Elsa could hardly keep up, so she settled for patting Olaf gently on his head.

"You should visit us more often," Anna said, smiling at the snowman.

"I will," Olaf said. "But I don't want Marshmallow to get lonely."

Elsa laughed, remembering the monstrous snow creature that she'd created. "Thanks for watching after my castle, Olaf."

"You should probably go up there sometime," Olaf said. "It's starting to get really messy."

"Messy?" Elsa asked. But the castle was made out of solid ice.

"Yeah, some of the walls are broken again, but I know you can fix it, Elsa." Olaf smiled and Elsa felt her heart melt. "Well, I've got more springtime things to do! I'll see you guys later," Olaf called, hobbling away across the grass.

"Elsa," Anna said. "I thought you fixed your castle." Her eyes glowed with apprehension.

"I did," Elsa replied, chewing on her lip.

"Do you think someone might have-"

"But it's so high up in the mountain."

They exchanged worried glances for a moment, but then Elsa waved off the topic. "Let's not worry about that now. I'll go up to my castle first thing tomorrow morning, but for now, let's just have lunch, okay?"

Anna laughed. "Lunch? It's past lunchtime, because someone slept in super late."

Elsa gently shoved Anna's shoulder, but Anna fought back, her hair dancing around her shoulders as she lunged toward Elsa, tickling her mercilessly.

"Anna, please," Elsa laughed, tears starting to stream down her face. "Can't we just eat together like normal sisters?"

"You started it," Anna taunted, hardly letting up in her assault.

"Barely," Elsa cried, gripping her sides. "Oh, I'm getting a cramp; stop it, Anna." Elsa squirmed away from the redhead, feigning annoyance. Anna bounced up to her, pushing her down on the blanket. Her face hovered just an inch above Elsa's nose.

"You love me, Elsa, you know it," Anna said, her breath tickling her older sister's nose. Elsa blushed from their proximity, stammering back, "O-of course I do."

Anna smiled, satisfied, and slipped off of her, picking up a pastry from the blanket. "We better start eating," she said. "We've got a lot to cover here."

Elsa smiled, recovering from Anna's play attack. She smoothed her hair back and picked up a sandwich. "Anna, don't start off with sweets," she scolded, but Anna had shoved the whole small cake in her mouth before Elsa even finished her sentence. Elsa sighed deeply, but her amusement was obvious.

They sat together on the bank for hours, eating and laughing and watching as the sun dipped below the horizon.


	4. Chapter 4

Jack sat on the edge of the bed in the guestroom, staring at his hands. There was nothing to do, but he didn't want to try to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, the darkness that greeted him was filled with images of his little sister dying. He clenched his fists, thinking about what he was up against. _Pitch Black_. Jack wondered where this man had even come from. He couldn't even remember what Pitch had done, just that he had hurt Jack. He struggled to piece together what had happened before he'd arrived burst into Queen Elsa's castle, but he just couldn't. He could barely muster up bits of the events that had transpired. _That son of a bitch_. Jack had no idea what had happened to him and it was pissing him off. After all this time of knowing nothing about himself, he was starting to remember fragments of his past life, and it was good; it was progress. But here was something else he was doomed to not remember, and it was so damn frustrating.

Jack took a deep breath, slowing down the frenzy of profanity and loathing sifting through his mind. He lay back on the bed, blowing out a small flurry, shifting his thoughts to something softer. _Elsa_. She was so pretty and so nice. He felt so lucky to find someone to talk to after all this time. He hoped that she would tell her sister about him, so that he would have another person to talk to.

Jack's eyes shot open as he heard something rap against the door. It didn't sound like Elsa's quiet knock. "Coming in," a female voice called out.

The door flung open to reveal a rotund woman, who Jack assumed was a servant and not Elsa's sister. She carried a metal tray, which she placed on a small table next to the door.

"Hello there," the woman said, eyeing him warily.

Jack nearly fell over. "You can see me?" he asked, incredulous.

"Yes," the woman replied. She was obviously confused by the statement but didn't say anything further.

"I'm Jack Frost," he said. "And you believe in me?"

"Oh, Jack Frost," the servant replied. "You're the real Jack Frost?" She raised an eyebrow. "Prove it."

Jack wasted no time in picking up his staff and shooting snow across the room. Despite this display, the woman looked hardly surprised, and Jack was worried that she couldn't see him anymore.

"So I guess you are," she said, turning back to the tray, uncovering a plate of food. "Why are you here?"

"I-I don't know," he said. "Something happened, and I can't remember. You believe in me? You have to believe in me to see me."

"Of course I believe in you," the servant blinked, as if his existence were obvious. "Arendelle has so much snow, someone's got to make it." She smiled at Jack for the first time.

"I'm sorry, miss, but what's your name?"

"Ah," she smiled. "You can call me Gerda. Loyal servant to the Crown of Arendelle." After a pause, Gerda added, "Elsa trusts you?"

"I don't know," Jack said, surprised at the question.

"She lets you stay here. Alone."

"I guess she probably does."

"Are you seeing her?"

Jack gave her a quizzical expression.

"Are you courting her?"

Jack felt himself blushing. "No, no," he stammered. "It's nothing like that at all."

"Well then why are you here?" Gerda demanded.

"She didn't tell you what happened?"

"Ha, no," Gerda laughed kindly. "Queen Elsa likes to keep to herself. I heard about you from another servant, Kai."

Jack looked confused again, so Gerda explained, "He's the man who took care of you when you first arrived. He didn't tell me anything besides that you were staying. And Elsa herself requested that I bring you lunch today." Gerda looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know, this means Kai can see you, too."

Jack smiled broadly. So many people in one location believing in him. Maybe this all just took time – to find people to believe in him, and to piece back together his memory.

(break)

Jack sat up in bed all night, waiting for Elsa to return. That evening there was only one knock at the door, and it was Gerda, bringing him dinner. He said thank you and sat thoughtlessly on his bed, slowly chewing a piece of bread. Hours passed, and he kept sitting. There was no way he was going to sleep tonight. He kept hoping for someone to come, anyone. To meet Anna. To talk to Elsa. Even Kai. But he was alone.

(break)

Elsa woke up feeling urgent. A pain of guilt stabbed at her chest as she realized that she'd spent the night talking to Anna without even considering telling her about Jack. And she'd left him alone. In some ways, he was a guest of the castle. Then she remembered that she had to investigate what had happened in her ice palace. It was already hard to access; who would take the time to damage it?

She rolled out of bed, rummaged around in the restroom and then the closet. She trekked to the kitchen. It was still early so she knew that Anna wouldn't be awake yet. Gerda greeted her.

"This Jack Frost," she said, "is very nice. I took the liberty of giving him dinner as well. I assume you want me to keep feeding him." She resumed chopping some potatoes on a cutting board in front of her. "I wish you would introduce him to your sister."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Is that a good idea? We have to protect her. What if there's something weird about him?" She placed a chunk of bread on a plate and sat down.

"He is fine," Gerda replied. "And when am I wrong?"

Elsa chewed her bread, thoughtfully. "I don't know," she swallowed. "I want to get to know him a little better."

"Ah," Gerda smiled. "Your Majesty has an interest in the young man?"

Elsa nearly choked on her bread. "No, no, I mean, yes, he's very interesting. I'm just not interested in him. That way." Her eyes darted uneasily across the room.

"It's okay, Your Majesty, you don't have to hide your feelings."

"It's not like that at all. I just met him. And besides he's young. He's really young, I think."

"You are young yourself." Chop, chop. "Besides, I've never seen you take an interest in someone like this before."

Elsa looked down. "Well, I haven't met too many people before."

She looked up, startling as she made direct eye contact with Gerda. "It's okay, Elsa. Because now you can meet whoever you want. And be interested. And be yourself. Just be happy."

Elsa swallowed the last of her bread. Despite Gerda's kind words, she felt awkward and out of place, a feeling she often experienced in her own home. "Thank you, Gerda. I have to go now. I must investigate an issue with my ice fortress at the top of the mountain." She turned to leave, hesitating for a moment. Voice softer, she added, "If Anna awakens before I return, just let her know that I'll be back soon."

And with a flutter of her dress, she was out the door.

-break-

Jack lay on his back on the bed, eyes strained wide open. Gerda had not yet arrived with breakfast and he hadn't heard from Elsa. He told himself he wasn't a prisoner, that he could leave at any time. The window he had broken through had not yet been replaced, and warm spring air billowed through it like a giant invisible curtain. _Remember, remember_. A flash of darkness shot through Jack's mind. He kept his eyes open. He watched his little sister fall through ice- _don't close your eyes_- into freezing water. He saw her pale face –_open_- in her best dress. Coffin. Darkness. Laughter. _Pitch_. Jack sat straight up in bed, and nearly inaudibly whispered, "I remember."

-break-

Elsa trudged up the mountain, snow caking her clothing and shoes. Apprehension gnawed at her insides and she couldn't even imagine the freedom she'd felt the first time she'd come up here. Her ice palace was just around the corner. She steeled herself for whatever she might see. Peering around a rock wall, she was astounded upon seeing that the fortress looked exactly the same as she left it.

Tentatively, Elsa started toward the castle. Clearly, she remembered Olaf telling her that something was amiss, but it looked exactly the same. As she walked closer, she noticed that part of the railings on the staircase leading to the front door was smashed. There were also shards on the ground, from a second story window that was broken. Elsa cocked her head to the side as Marshmallow timidly pulled himself out of a snowbank. They raised eyebrows at each other, and then Elsa crossed the staircase. She reached out and pulled open the door.

A rush of darkness threw her to her knees, almost propelling her down the stairs. The darkness seemed infused with a golden, glittering magic, and it was so strong, she felt as though it were consuming her. Gasping for air, she crawled to the threshold and peered inside. Her entire castle was filled with the dark matter; everything was transformed into a fiery hell of blackness. A scream caught in Elsa's throat as she pushed herself away from the scene, shuffling backwards on her hands.

Then just as quickly as it was unleashed, the darkness was gone. One last tendril swept past her face, pulling a strand of hair loose from her braid. Slowly, Elsa shakily picked herself up and walked into her castle. Everything was exactly the same, save for a broken ice lamp.

_What the hell just happened?_

-break-

Elsa burst through the door just as Jack threw himself into a standing position.

"I have to tell you something," they both exclaimed at the same time.

"It's important," Jack started, but they both froze as they realized how passionate they'd both sounded. Each blushed furiously and awkwardly ushered the other to continue with whatever story there was to tell.

"I have a castle," Elsa said, "at the top of the mountain, and there was something very wrong with it. Parts of it were broken and when I opened the door, everything became dark for a moment. It was the most terrifying thing I've ever experienced. The whole thing felt like a giant nightmare."

Jack winced, eliciting a confused expression from Elsa. "You have a castle? At the top of the mountain?"

Elsa nodded, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Is it… made of ice?"

She nodded again, straightening her back and folding her arms.

"And you say this darkness came out of it? And it hit you?"

Elsa nodded, patient.

Laughing ruefully, Jack ran his fingers through his hair. "Well you may not want to sleep for a long while."

-break-

"Well, this will be awkward to explain." Jack cleared his throat and averted his gaze from Elsa's. "A few days ago, I was flying past Arendelle on my way south. I was going to sprinkle some snow across the top of the mountains here when I noticed your ice palace." He paused, shuffling his feet. Scratching the back of his head, he continued, "When I got to your castle, it became apparent that someone had followed me there. I remember a dark figure, a man, and somehow he attacked me with a bunch of dark magic or something."

Elsa's eyes widened. "Did it shimmer, in the light? Kind of gold?"

Jack nodded. "I'd never seen anything like it before. And I'd never _felt_ anything like it either. The first blast hit me, and it flooded me with images of my little sister, drowning. I've been plagued with nightmares about that ever since. After that, I tried shielding myself with my ice powers, and then I just tried to get away. I guess that's how I ended up here. I must have crashed through the window, trying to get away from Pitch."

"Pitch?"

"That's what he called himself. He was really adamant about it, that I know his name. That I believe in him. Maybe he's like me. Maybe he needs people to believe in him, too." Jack sighed.

"I see," Elsa said. "That explains why when I first saw you, your eyes were glazed over with darkness."

Jack looked shocked. "I had – my eyes were black?"

"Only for a moment. Then it faded away."

He laughed, humorlessly. "Wow, and you still talked to me?"

Elsa cocked her head to the side, slightly.

"Well, it was so quick. And then you seemed fine. I didn't know- "

"Elsa!" a singsong voice called out.

Both their eyes widened, and Elsa lifted her hand to her mouth. "Oh, no," she muttered.

"Elsa!" the voice came again.

"Elsa? I know you're in there!" The sound of footsteps came closer and closer. "I can hear you talking. Why are you talking? Who are you talking to?"

Anna rushed up to the doorway, her face cheery and slightly flushed. "Elsa! I found you," she beamed. Then she noticed Jack, and he was surprised to see that her face didn't fall at all. Instead, she seemed to brighten.

"Elsa!" Anna exclaimed. "Is this your boyfriend?"

Elsa immediately began spluttering, repeating over and over that it wasn't what it looked like as her sister smiled coyly at Jack.

And Jack just stood there mesmerized, realizing that this was another person who had believed in him.


	5. Chapter 5

Anna rushed to Elsa, eyes wide. She linked arms with her sister and at once pelted her with questions. "Why is he here? Why didn't you _tell_ me? How long has it been? Are you getting married? Is this why you were up the other night?" In a quieter voice, Anna solemnly said, "Have you been sleeping with him?" She flushed crimson as she realized what her words implied and giggled. "I didn't mean it like- " she started, giddy with laughter.

Jack looked on in amazement. He studied Anna's red hair, the freckles that danced across her nose, which constantly crinkled as she poked and prodded at Elsa. They were so _different_. Jack smiled. _But they're both so perfect._

Anna released Elsa before she could even utter an answer. The Queen just stood there, flustered, flurries of ice dancing around her, her skin pink against her pale gown. Anna bounded up to Jack, excitedly gripping his arm. "Do you love my sister?" she asked, striking green eyes staring up at him. Jack swallowed hard, stammering and stumbling backwards.

"Jack," Elsa said from the other side of the room, "is just a friend, Anna. He just needs our help with something."

"Oh," Anna said. Jack saw her smile falter slightly before she turned back toward her sister. "What does he need help with?"

"We're still trying to figure that out," Elsa replied. "Something to do with nightmares. And the damage done to my ice castle."

"Oh, no," Anna gasped, turning toward Jack, her loose red hair tickling him as it swiped across his skin. "_You _did that?" she accused, suddenly looking defensive.

Jack didn't know what to say and was grateful when Elsa jumped in. "Kind of. Someone was attacking him and he had to defend himself."

"Defend himself?" Anna assessed Jack's lanky build. "With what?"

Blood rushed to Jack's cheeks as he bent to pick up his staff. "With this," he almost whispered, propelling a shot of snow and ice directly toward Anna's face. Just before it reached the tip of her nose, he swept the snow around Anna, curving it upward into elegant spirals that intertwined into a perfect point. Flakes danced lazily downward, disappearing as they met the wooden floor. Anna was looking around herself in wonder- she hadn't even flinched- but Jack noticed that Elsa had visibly stiffened.

Suddenly sounding too formal, she requested that Anna leave the room. "Please tell Gerda and Kai to prepare the dining table, for we have a guest. I'll see you shortly, Anna."

Anna looked at her sister, a mixture of four parts confusion and one part hurt dribbled across her face. "O-okay, Elsa," she said, ducking her head and walking out of the room. Elsa stepped forward, shutting the door behind her.

"Don't do that," Elsa said sternly, her eyes darker than Jack had ever seen them before.

"Do what? Th-the snow?"

"Do _not_ threaten my sister." Elsa leaned in closer.

"I wasn't threatening her; I was having fun. I bring snow and fu-"

"That's not fun, Jack. That was a threat. I have to protect my sister. If you'd messed up at all, in any part of that."

Jack scoffed. "I don't mess up. Not with snow. And I didn't see you making any grand gestures to protect her."

Elsa straightened. "Don't fuck with my sister. You may have fucked up with yours, but I'm not fucking up with mine." Jack stared at her in disbelief, pain clenching at his chest. Elsa swept her skirts around her as she turned away. Cocking her head back to look at Jack in her peripheral, she said, "Dinner will be served shortly. I'll send Kai to come fetch you."

-break-

Dinner with Elsa and her sister had been disturbing to say the least. Despite their argument in the guestroom, Elsa seemed exactly as she had earlier. Jack rolled around in his bed, frustrated. Closing his eyes still brought him flashes of nightmares, though not as bad as before. He shouldn't have done that; Elsa and Anna didn't know him well enough. He worried that whatever trust that Elsa had for him before was gone now. But he hadn't even done anything. He hadn't hurt anyone. It was Elsa who was being a bitch. It was well past midnight when Jack finally couldn't take the torrents of anger and guilt anymore.

"I'm gonna apologize to Elsa. If she's not gonna do it, I'm gonna do it," he said aloud to himself. "Her room is along this hall somewhere," he mumbled, feeling along the hallway in the dark. After a minute or two, he almost slipped. Steadying himself, he felt something smooth and cold and slightly wet underneath his bare feet. _Ice._ Carefully, he felt a lightly frozen section of the wall until his fingers brushed across door hinges and his hand grasped a doorknob. Knocking gently, he parted his lips, whispering, "Elsa?" When he received no reply, he tentatively twisted the knob, hoping he was making the right decision. He gently nudged against the door until he finally felt it start to give. With a final push, the door inched open, the sound of cracking ice nearly masking the thump of something hitting the floor.

Jack slipped in through the opening, gently closing the door. He scanned the room, wondering what had fallen, but it was too dark for him to see. The curtains were drawn, so not even moonlight illuminated the curves of the furniture. Jack tried to make out the shadow of a bed, but the room was completely dark. Gingerly, he crept forward, kicking something soft after two steps. It was then that he heard it.

A soft rustling sound, hardly perceptible. Coming from the floor. _No way._ He leaned downward.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

"Elsa," Jack tried to cry out, but the name died in his throat, strangling itself in his vocal chords. He fell to the floor and felt for her body. Picking her up gently and wrapping her softly in his arms, he whispered, "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

Jack pulled her tighter into his arms, inching backward until his back rested against the door. He noticed now the soft snow that was falling on his face. The whole room was frozen. He smacked the back of his head against the wood and stared up at the ceiling for the rest of the night.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

-break-

"I'm sorry about last night," Elsa said over breakfast the next morning.

Jack winced at the mention of the word. "Oh, I'm sorry," Elsa said, catching herself too late. She bit her lip and looked at Jack apologetically.

Jack swallowed his mouthful of bread. "It's okay." They sat in awkward silence. Anna had not yet awakened so it was just the two of them, trying to eat breakfast, though neither was very hungry.

Elsa looked down at her palms, resting in her lap. "I- I just lost control. It doesn't happen often anymore." When Elsa had awakened that morning, the warmth and comfort around her had been mesmerizing. No one had held her like that since she was a young child, before she had accidentally struck Anna with ice in the head. She had lain there in blissful limbo between sleep and consciousness for a while, before she had questioned who was holding her. When she looked up, she saw Jack's head, tilted upward, his eyes wide open.

"Jack," she'd whispered. He'd moved his head down slowly to look at her, his lips pulling into a sad smile.

"Hey," he'd whispered back, his right hand moving from its place around her waist to stroke her hair.

Elsa looked at him, sitting across from her now. "When's the last time you slept, Jack?"

Jack met Elsa's eyes, and the passion and concern in them nearly made him topple off his chair. He smiled wryly. "Probably not since the night I came barreling in through the window and went all comatose on you."

"I-I'm sorry," she bit her lip and shut her eyes in frustration, "for keeping you up last night."

"Don't worry about it; I probably wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway."

"The nightmares," Elsa said. "I hope they fade away soon. Do you remember what this Pitch Black wanted to do?"

"He wanted to cover the world in darkness, as cliché as that sounds, by giving everyone nightmares. I guess that's his power. Like I bring snow, he brings nightmares. I wonder if the Man in the Moon," Jack trailed off.

"The who?"

"The Man in the Moon. The one who made me, me."

"Oh, right."

"I've been remembering more and more about my past life. Well not so much my life as the end of it. The ice-skating with my sister. Trying to save her. Falling into the water. I can't even imagine how she must have felt." Jack felt tears prickling his eyes. "She watched me die, and she couldn't even do anything about it." He shut his eyes tight, feeling the tears streak down his cheek. He heard a chair scrape backward, and after all the confusion of the previous night, he half-expected that Elsa had left him alone. But after a moment, he felt hesitant arms reach around his neck and across his chest. His eyes flashed open as Elsa leaned in close. He tried hard not to breathe in her minty scent.

"It's okay," she spoke straight into his ear, her breath tickling his skin. "You saved her life."

His heart fluttered. "I could have been better. I shouldn't have taken her. She really wanted to go, but I should have known better."

"It's okay," she cooed. "You did the best that you could. You were just a kid. It's okay."

Elsa pulled his head sweetly against her chest. Jack blushed as he felt the soft cushion at the back of his head. Eventually Jack gave in, resting against her, closing his eyes, finally falling asleep.


	6. Chapter 6: Let's Be Friends

When Jack woke up he was in his usual bed. "How did I- " Jack wondered aloud, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Guess I'm stronger than I look, huh?"

Jack turned his head to see Elsa sitting in the corner of the room, closing a book and placing it on the table next to her.

"There's a chair there," he murmured to himself.

"What?" Elsa asked, standing up, concern in her eyes.

"We have to figure this out." Jack pinched the bridge between his eyes.

"This, everything. We have to figure out how to stop Pitch."

Elsa looked at Jack sadly. "Even though he attacked you, he really hasn't done anything else. There's nothing to stop, Jack."

Jack blinked at her. _Not again._ Something so real to him was nothing to everyone else. No one else could _see_ this. No one else knew about Pitch. Even Elsa, who had seen Pitch's darkness…

"We have to do something."

"Okay, Jack, but what do we do?"

"We can't just sit here."

"But there's nothing we can do. We can't do anything until he makes a move." Elsa sat down on the bed next to Jack and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"So what are we supposed to do then?"

"We can just be, you can just be, _normal_. We can all be friends. And you can go and do your snow thing, and then come home to- "

"_Us_?" Jack asked, incredulous. "You want me to stay here, even though there's no reason."

"It's hard to be alone." Elsa shifted uncomfortably on the bed. She glanced down at the blue comforter. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to."

Jack just smiled at her and pulled her into a long hug. _Thank you._


End file.
